'Hustle' brings bit of Worcester to screen

Saturday

Dec 14, 2013 at 6:00 AM

WORCESTER — Four weeks of filming, seven months of waiting and the film "American Hustle" is finally, almost, nearly, sort of here. The movie opens nationwide Dec. 20. Nicole Watson, owner of Nick's Bar and Restaurant, where scenes were filmed in April, caught a screening Wednesday in Brookline and said it was excellent.

By Lisa Eckelbecker TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Four weeks of filming, seven months of waiting and the film "American Hustle" is finally, almost, nearly, sort of here.

The movie, loosely based on a late 1970s sting operation run by the FBI, is earning critical raves ahead of its release Friday in a limited number of markets, as well as seven nominations for Golden Globe Awards. It opens nationwide Dec. 20.

Nicole Watson, owner of Nick's Bar and Restaurant on Millbury Street, where a number of scenes were filmed in April, caught a screening of the movie Wednesday night at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline and described it as excellent.

"It was so much fun to see so much Worcester in there," Ms. Watson said.

Directed by David O. Russell, "American Hustle" tells the story of con artists forced to work for an FBI agent in an investigation involving politics. It recalls the Abscam sting, which became public in 1980 and led to bribery convictions for several members of Congress.

"American Hustle" was filmed at a number of Massachusetts locations. During April, production took place at Worcester locations such as Worcester Memorial Auditorium, the Worcester Art Museum and the city's Canal District neighborhood. The exterior of Shack's Clothing in downtown Worcester got a temporary sign that allowed it to double as the entrance to Studio 54, a famous New York City nightclub of the era. Nick's Bar and Restaurant morphed into "Baron's Italian Dining" for the film.

That re-use of sites is part of the art of movie making, according to Erin I. Williams, cultural development officer for the city of Worcester.

"We might recognize our City Hall as one place, and it might appear as something very different in the film," she said.

Some local arts-scene officials had hoped to schedule a premiere of the film at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester, but the movie's release date conflicted with events at the downtown theater, according to Barbara Guertin, an actress who appears in "American Hustle" and is a founder of Mass Studios, a proposed production center.

"We thought it was going to be a great opportunity to highlight all the work that was done here, especially in Worcester," she said.

Instead, she said, she'll see the movie the night it opens.

"And we're planning our own little '70s party," Ms. Guertin said.

The Worcester Art Museum has already repainted and switched out the art in a gallery where Mr. Bale and Mr. Cooper shot a scene, but it would be happy to have the filmmakers come back for an event, said Monica A. Elefterion, the museum's marketing and communications coordinator.

"We've posted to their social media saying if they want to come back and have a viewing here, we would love it," she said.

For Ms. Watson of Nick's Bar and Restaurant, who has already seen the movie, one surprise was how quickly the scenes shot at her establishment go by. The bar appears at two different points in the film, serving as different settings, she said.

"It'll be really fun when everybody else gets to see it, and we'll definitely have an Oscar party, because it looks like it's going to be a contender," she said.

Contact Lisa Eckelbecker at leckelbecker@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaEckelbecker.

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